SAN JOSE, Calif. — Their body language might have said something different, but the Avs aren’t done yet. It just felt like the roof caved in moments after Colorado’s 5-1 loss to the Sharks at HP Pavilion on Monday night.

After taking the required time to beat themselves up individually, the Avs’ optimism emerged.

“We’re still in this thing,” defenseman Shane O’Brien said after staring at the carpet.

Barely.

The Avalanche earned only one point in the team’s past three games. But Los Angeles and Dallas also lost in regulation Monday, keeping the Avs in 10th place in the NHL’s Western Conference playoff race heading into their game tonight at Vancouver. The Avs, who are 0-4-1 against the Northwest Division-leading Canucks, are tied with the No. 9 Kings with 86 points, one point behind No. 7 Dallas and No. 8 Phoenix.

Calgary (85 points), which hosts the Avs on Friday, is the fifth team vying for the West’s final two playoff slots.

Colorado has played a conference-most 78 games, two more than the Kings and Stars and one more than the Coyotes and Flames.

“We know the situation, but again, it’s one step at a time,” Avs coach Joe Sacco said. “We look at the Vancouver game and we know that game becomes more important because of our loss (Monday). We’re right there. Nothing has really changed as far as the (standings) go. We still have an optimistic group here. It’s going to be hard, but we’ll do everything we can.”

Sacco needs one of his top lines to rebound tonight. Paul Stastny and wingers Jamie McGinn and David Jones combined for nine shots against the Sharks, but each had a minus-4 rating — including an empty-net goal. McGinn was acquired from the Sharks in a Feb. 27 trade that looked great until Monday.

“It’s disappointing,” said McGinn, who had eight goals in his first 13 games with the Avs before his nightmare return to San Jose. “We just need to rebound in Vancouver and forget about (Monday).”

Stastny said a four-game winning streak to end the regular season is in order.

“You have to win them all and hope for outcomes from other teams,” Stastny said. “We have to win (tonight) and have some luck go our way. All these teams we’re playing are tough teams. They’re all in the same race. Vancouver is playing for first place, and Calgary has a little chance. But (tonight) is a guaranteed must-win.”

After concluding this three-game trip Friday at Calgary, the Avs have five days off before hosting Columbus on April 5 and concluding the regular season April 7 against Nashville at the Pepsi Center.

COLORADO AT VANCOUVER

8 p.m. ALT, 950 AM/103.1 FM

Spotlight on Chris Higgins: The Canucks forward from Smithtown, N.Y., and Yale University scored the game’s final two goals Saturday in Vancouver’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Avalanche in Denver. Higgins, 28, has produced 17 regular-season goals for the Canucks since being acquired from Florida late last season. He is one of the primary forwards being asked to replace the production of leading-scorer Daniel Sedin, who remains out with a concussion.

NOTEBOOK

Avalanche: The Avs are 0-4-1 against the Canucks, losing in a shootout and overtime in two of the past three games. Unlike the Canucks, who won’t leave Canada the rest of the season and will end up playing six of their final seven games at Rogers Arena, the Avs continue to live out of hotels. They arrived in San Jose late Sunday night and will depart for Calgary after tonight’s game.

Canucks: Vancouver announced Monday that star forward Daniel Sedin is out indefinitely with a concussion. …. Defenseman Keith Ballard, who has been out seven weeks with a concussion, has returned skating but probably won’t return to the lineup tonight. Ballard said he was originally injured Feb. 4 against the Avalanche and was sleeping 16 to 18 hours a day during the worst part of a difficult recovery. “When I tried to do some light workouts, I ended up getting real sick and I’d be in bed for four days,” Ballard told the Vancouver Sun.